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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
MIAMI (AP) -- The Miami heat had no trouble with the Chicago Bulls this time.
Tim Hardaway had 16 points, eight assists and zero turnovers as the Heat avenged two earlier losses to the lowly Bulls and clinched a playoff berth for the fifth straight year with a 105-80 victory over Chicago on Thursday night.
|  | | Never leave your feet, Will Perdue! Miami's Harold Jamison eyes the hoop in front of the Bulls' center. |
Alonzo Mourning added 15 points in only 18 minutes, and Jamal
Mashburn scored 12. Three Heat reserves -- Clarence Weatherspoon,
Otis Thorpe and Rodney Buford -- each added 10 points.
Miami lost to Chicago 92-85 on Jan. 18, and 83-76 on Feb. 17.
Only one other team, the Boston Celtics, has lost to Chicago twice
this season.
"The bottom line is I know we're a better team," Mourning
said. "It wasn't anything they did, it was what we did. Giving up
those games definitely got under our skin a little bit. We're an
elite team, we're not supposed to be losing to teams like that."
It was Miami's second-largest margin of victory this season. The
Heat beat the Celtics 115-89 on Jan. 25.
Miami, in first place in the Atlantic Division, led Chicago
53-39 at halftime. The Bulls pulled within 64-55 on a 14-foot
jumper by rookie Elton Brand with 4:51 to play in the third quarter, but the Heat responded, pushing the lead back up to 17.
With defending NBA champion San Antonio coming to town Sunday,
Riley used the rout to rest his team. Every player on the bench saw
action.
"It's just pleasing to see everyone playing well," Mourning
said. "We haven't had a game like this in a while where the
starters were able to rest in the second half."
Brand was the only bright spot for Chicago, with 17 points. Fred
Hoiberg had 15.
Miami jumped on the Bulls early. The Heat shot 62.2 percent from
the field (23-of-37) in the first half and led by as many as 17.
Mourning had 13 in the half on 6-of-8 shooting from the field.
After leading 9-7, the Bulls never were ahead again. Miami has
won 15 of its last 16 at home, with the only loss coming last week
to the Lakers.
The Bulls are 6-33 against teams at .500 or better, and now have
a 13-game road losing streak.
Miami was coming off two poor outings. The Heat scored a
record-low 19 points in the second half of its loss Sunday in
Orlando and blew a 28-point lead at home against Phoenix on Tuesday
before pulling out a win.
"It's nice to clinch a playoff berth, but our goals are bigger
than that," Mourning said. "We have a chance to go all the way
and we need to continue to play well on a consistent basis."
Game notes
Mashburn was back in the starting lineup after missing
Tuesday's game against the Suns with the flu and played 27 minutes.
... Hardaway earned an $800,000 bonus because Miami reached 45
wins. ... Miami coach Pat Riley is now eight wins away from
becoming the second coach in NBA history to record 1,000 career
victories. Atlanta's Lenny Wilkens was the first. ... Chicago's 25
turnovers were a season high for a Miami opponent this year. The
previous high was 21. ... Miami's 17 steals were a season high. ...
The Bulls dropped to 1-27 when allowing 100 or more points.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Chicago Clubhouse
Miami Clubhouse
RECAPS
Phoenix 118
Atlanta 74
Miami 105
Chicago 80
New Jersey 107
Toronto 103
Minnesota 122
Houston 90
San Antonio 102
Golden State 90
Portland 96
Dallas 85
Milwaukee 104
LA Clippers 85
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